Origin

The ultimate root of level is Latin libra ‘scales, balance’, also the source of the sign of the zodiac Libra (Late Middle English). It has many senses in English, the earliest being ‘an instrument used to determine if a surface is horizontal’, as in spirit level (mid 18th century). Since the 1980s the image of a level playing field has been a cliché of business and politics. In games, an uneven playing surface will favour the home side, who will be more familiar with its hazards. See also deliberate